The Varieties of Camellia

Welcome to the Beginners course of TeaClass. In this inaugural lesson, we'll examine the basics of tea to help differentiate the varieties.

But first, let's cover the essential question of this course: "What is tea?"

Tea is the second-most consumed drink in the world, surpassed only by water. An often-surprising fact to tea novices is that all teas come from the same plant. The scientific name of this versatile plant is Camellia Sinensis. The different varieties of Camellia leaves (black, white, green and oolong) stem from how they are made.

How the leaves are processed will determine their final classification as black, white, green, and oolong teas. The main difference between the many tea varieties is how much oxygen the leaves are allowed to absorb during processing. More oxygen produces dark-colored black teas. Less oxygen results in green tea. Unprocessed leaves are classified white tea.

Black tea, currently the most popular tea in the US, was originally produced out of necessity rather than taste. When European traders first started exporting tea from China, many found that the green tea leaves (green leaves were all that were existed at the time), due to the long, arduous trip back from Asia, would lose freshness. Merchants would ferment the leaves to lengthen preservation, thus creating a new variety with a different flavor. Because this was the only way that they could enjoy tea for centuries, black tea remains the favorite for most Westerners. Examples of black tea include Darjeeling, English Breakfast, Ceylon and many others.

As a contrast, green tea is an unfermented tea. This tea has recently enjoyed a resurgence in popularity, thanks to recent scientific findings touting its health benefits. But this tea has been around for thousands of years, making the history books as the first tea to be discovered. An ancient Chinese legend tells that Shen Nung, a skilled ruler and creative scientist, was the first to discover and enjoy delicious effect of tea leaves and hot water. While visiting a distant region one summer day, he stopped to rest. In accordance with his ruling that all drinking water be boiled (as a hygienic precaution), the servants began to boil water for him and his advisors to drink. Dried leaves from the nearby bush fell into the boiling water, making the clear water transform to a pale green. As a scientist, the Emperor was interested in the new liquid, drank some and found it very refreshing. Examples of green tea include Dragonwell (also called Lung Ching), Genmai Cha, Gunpowder and many others.

Oolong tea is a "semi-fermented" tea that is principally manufactured in China and Taiwan (often called Formosa, its old Dutch name). Oolong tea falls somewhere between Green and Black teas, and can resemble either (depending upon the way that it is processed). This tea is best known to Americans as an accompaniment for General Tso's Chicken in many Chinese restaurants. Some oolongs include Ti Kuan Yin, Pouchong, Wuyi and others.

White tea is produced on a very limited scale in China and India. It is the least processed of its many varieties, made with no steaming or pan-firing. But to connoisseurs, "white" is considered the apotheosis of tea. White tea employs only the best leaf from each tea plant at each harvest. But due to exclusivity and unfamiliarity, the gentle, subtle taste of white tea has yet to make a significant impact in America, hiding mainly on the shelves of specialty stores. Examples of white teas include Pai Mu Tan (or White Peony), Silver Needle and White Darjeeling.

Finally, flavored teas are generally made by combining the essential oils of the desired flavor with black, green or white tea (usually from China or Sri Lanka). Thanks to modern science, virtually any flavor imaginable can now be blended with tea. Examples include Peach White tea, Earl Grey black tea, Citron Green tea and many others.

Although tea is one of the most enjoyed beverages worldwide, it is also one of the least known. For example, most tea drinkers in Darjeeling, India have never drank (or even heard of!) a Japanese Hojicha. This is primarily due to the fact that the enjoyment of most teas remains mainly isolated to that tea-growing region. Luckily, with the dawn of transportation and creation of clever online tea education courses, this naïveté will soon be a thing of the past.

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